Roller bearing



A. w. WARD ROLLER BEARING DMn zo, 1927.l

2 Sheets-Sheet l (g1/mento@ z a m ,m

Wlllllllll mf f 7, w w w v m HHHW K M M m MR M c vm iii/1 I fw F G fifi/ra@ @W 1 MX n 7 /0 Nl Dec. zo, 1927. v 1,653,073 l A. w. WARD ROLLER BEARING l Filed Nov. v, 1925 2 sheets-sneer 2 @mit v1 eww @nommait Patented Dec. 1927. y

UNITEDy srrallss 1.653.013 PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW W. WARD, 'OE CHARLESTON, WEST 'VRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF FIVE-EIGHTHS TO THOMAS C. MCKINLE'Y, 'ONE-EIGHTH TO ALLIQSON GARNETT THOMPSON, ONE= EIGHTH TO JOHN M. JAVINS, ALL F CHARLESTON, TESTl -VIRGINIA, AND ONE- EIGHTH T0 CHARLES T. BBOOKSHIRE.

' ROLLER BEARING.

Application mea Nvember 7, 1925. serial No. 67.632,

change in the latter, and which may be read- I ily installed in position` and access easily obtained thereto for the purpose of installing new parts or otherwiserepairing the same. A further object-is to provide a roller bearing for journal boxes which employs a double series of hardened rollers constantly in direct contact with the spindle end of the 'journal and in staggered relation to each other and bearing around the'entire double series against the surrounding shoe or shoes, thus serving to distribute the weight to a greater number of rollers than usual4 and 2.5 causing each roller to support its share of the weight in turn, the entire series being caused to roll around the orbit without the brasses are so associated as to prevent anyy longitudinal movement of the box relative to the spindle or journal, and wherein the said rollers are so formedv asv to provide means for feeding the'oil constantly to the top of the double series, thus providing for the automatic lubrication of the bearing, the oil being free to gravitate quickly tothe bot-v tom' of the journal b`ox again, so that a constant supply of fresh oil is carriedto the top of the bearing. j f p o A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a ccnsidera `tion of the following detailed'description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specifica? tion, itA being understood that while the drawings show a practical formv of the in- 59 vention, thel latter is not to be confined to strictconformity with the showing thereof,`

but may be changed'or modified, so long as such changes or modifications markno ma terial departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims. 5 v

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal Asection through a journal box having the imf proved bearinginstalled therein.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional yview taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l.I

Figure 3 is a central, horizontal section of 1 65 the same. y Figure 4 is a detail transverse section of the spindle and the series of rollers 'around the same.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view ofY one of the rollers.

Referring to the drawing and particularly Vto Figure 2 thereof, there is shown the upper and lower frame membersl and 2 respectively of an ordinary railwayl truck, in which a box or casing 3 is mounted in the usual manner'and held by the usual bolts 4 arranged at either side thereof between. the vertical ribs or flanges 4** forv the purpose of rigidly mounting the said box in the truck. The box and truck may be of any of v the well known forms and held in connected relation in any other desired manner, except that said box, in addition to the usual swinging front door 5, has the lower portion thereof in the form .of a removable plate 6 held in position by the bolts 7 entering the lower vertical'front edgeso of the sides of the box. The bottom wall of the box, adjacent to the front edge thereof and at a central point, is further rovided with a drain opening 8 into which 1s adapted to be screwed a closure plug 9 for retaining oil or grease and for removing the same when unfit for use. The rear wall of the .box or casing 3 is provided with a central `opening 10 of somewhat greater ldiameter than' the car axle 11 and through which the latter extends,I withl the reduced spindle end '12 of the axle extending intoy the` box in the usual manner.Y 100 The shoulder 13 formed by the reduction of the axle lies in line with the inner face of the rear wall of the box, and the enlarged `opening 10l in the same adapted to be closedby an upper and a lower plate 14 and 15 respectively, which fit against the' sald inner 'faceLefftxhe. rear wall ofthe box, abutting against said shoulder and having-complementary semi-circular openings of a diameter to snugly it the spindle. The upper4 'plate 14 is not as high asthe lower plate 15,

and a space is, provided between the top of same and the top wall of the box or casing,- as clearly shown in :Figure 1 of the drawing, and the front end of the s indle- 12 is spaced f rom'the front wall an the filling door of( the box s0 as to provide a space for packing with grease.

lMounted within the box and in surrounding relation to the spindle, is an upper and a lower shoe 16 and 17 respectively, said shoes, which are commonly a known asv brasses from the fact that they have Aheretofore been usually made of brass, are, in

l the present inventionforme'd of hard steel,

and are each provided with asemi-circular inner wall to form acomplete circular wallz around the spindle and spaced from the same. The abutting edges of the shoes are on a level with the 'center' of the spindle and, in addition to snugly fitting the box, are' further held in alinement by means ofl pins 18 along their abutting edges and by screws 19 passing througlrfhe side walls of the box and entering the outer sides of eachx shoe. vThe upper shoe constitutes the actual bearing shoe and takes the load of the car and contents, while vthe lower 'shoe forms a continuous circular track for rollers, asl will bedescribed, and said'lower shoe is furtherprovided with a space or cavity 20 in the bottom thereof, and extending from front to rear thereof, to provide a chambery for the flow of grease or oil from the front of the box. The lower wall ofv the lower shoe, which is `thus somewhat thinner than the upper shoe, is rvided with threaded apertures into which `tubular ducts 21 are screwed, a air of said ductsbeing located adjacent tolboth the front and rear ends of the spindle and arranged at an angle di-v rected toward the axisof the said spindle,

as clearly shown in Figure 2 of thefdrawings. These ducts are adapted to supply oil or grease to the space between the spindle andthe lower shoe and to alternately carry off the oil, depending on whichidirection the spindleis/turning, or on which direction the truck is moving.

Mounted in the space between the spindle and the shoes are 'an inner and an outer series of rollers 22, preferably formedofA nickel steel and of a diameter to snugly fit I the space, saidgrollers being substantially equal in length to one-half the length of the s indie, the inner ends ofthe inner rollers a utting against the aforesaid closure plate formed ofthe members 14 and 1:5, while the outer ends of the outer series vof rollers are exactly flush-with the end of the spindle and are held from outward movement by an integral flange 23 formed on the end of the spindle and having a peripheral diameter equal to the diametereof the axle.

Each roller is provided at its inner end with an integral trunnion 24 and when the rollers are placed-in position around. the spindle, the trunnins of one series of rollers are placed between the trunnions of thel other series, so that the trunnions all abut against each other, as well as therollers, and f the two series of rollersV are arranged 1n staggered relation to each other. With this arrangement, according tothe size and proportions of the several parts, provides for a' wider bearing'area.4 upon the top of the spindle, the weioht bei-ng taken substantially upon live rollers of one series and four of the other, as shown in Figure 2 of the drawing, with the result'that there is less wear upon the spindle and shoes yand upon the rollers,resulting in a longer-life of the entire journal bearing. The contact of the several rollers of each series ywith each other andowith the shoes and spindle serves tocause all the surfaces to be constantly lubricated, the oil being carried up in the spaces between the rollers and upon the spindle and in the outer spaces around the innerl the oil will be drawn up one and forced partially out of the other, depending upon the direction of rotation of the spindle and rollers, and the excess will be carriedy up and over the bearing, as aforesaid, to supply a thin film o-f lubrication on all the parts.

In assembling the parts of the bearing, the front plate 6 is removed and the spindle,12 is projected into the box through the rear opening 10 and the plates 15 and 14 placed in position inthe order named. The said spindle, axle and Wheel (not shown) are then jacked up and held in elevated position, with the axle at the top of the rear opening 10 and the upper edge of the plate 14 co'ntact-` s ing with the top of the box. The front, in-

tegral flange 23 is held high enough to permit thelower shoe 17 to be placed in position'upon the bottom ofthe box and contacting with the lower 'plate l5 at the rear thereof. This provides ample space between' the lowest point of the flange 23 and the lower shoe for the introduction of several of the rollers 22 which may freely be placed in position with their trunnions 24 interfltting at their inner ends. The jacks are now removed 'andtheaxle is lowered to the center of the opening and rests upon the plate 15. The remainder of therollers of each series may now be placed in position around the spindle and between the plate 14 and end iiange 23, there being ample space for the purpose over said flange, when the front, swinging door'5 is thrown open. The

spindle, together with the two surrounding series of rollers, and also theA lower shoe, which is slightly below center, will now permit of the introduction of the upper shoe 16,

to surround and house the upper rollers, as the pins 18carried at each side of the said lower shoe will permit of the passage of the lower, depending side portions of the upper shoe. A shim 25, the full width of the interior of the box is now driven in beneath the side-legs of the lower shoe, said shim abutting against the rear, lower plate 15 and elevating the lower shoe, together with the rollers into central position, and causing the exposed portions of the side pins 18 to enter their seats in the depending portions of the upper shoe. The screws 19 are now secured in position to hold the shoes, after which the front plate 6 is fastened in position.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a.

simple, strong and durable roller bearing has been provided which is especially adapted for heavy duty, such as in car trucksand for general railway use, the rollers which may be easily installed and replaced, being so associated as t'o cause the weight of the load thereon to be more generally distributed and so shaped, together with the related parts, as to provide for a constant'automa'ticV lubrication of all the parts.

What is claimed is:

1. A roller'bearing for railway or other trucks comprising opposite series of separate rollers arranged around and contacting at their inner radial points with the wheel spindle, upperand lower concave shoes constituting a -complete circle and surrounding the rollers and contacting with the outerv radial pointsof the rollers, each roller having a reduced trunnion at its inner end,` the trunnions of one series fitting between the opposedatrunnions of the other series to maintain the series in staggered relation and to.

provide an intermediate, annular o-il channel.

2. A roller bearing for railway trucks having a journal box and al spindle entering the same, an upper Iand a lower shoe tting in the box and Aeach having a semicircular inner face to constitute a circular passageway for the spindle and spaced from the latter, spaced substantially radial oil ducts carried by the lower shoe and communicating with the passageway in spaced relation to the ends of the shoe, an inner and anout`er continuous series of lrollers interposed betweenthe spindle and the shoes, the rollers of one series being staggered with relation to Lthose of the other, each series rolling over the inner ends of the oil ducts, each roller having a reduced .trunnion formed at its inner end, the trunnions of one series tting between those of i the other' to hold the rollers in staggered relation and to form a circular oil space or channel at the central portion of the bearing.

3. The combination with a journal box anda spindle entering the same, of an upper and a lower bearing shoe fitting the rear por-f tion of said box and providing a complete circular space surroundingl the spindle, the

` lower shoe having an oil space in its lower portion and oil conducting tubes mounted in the lower shoe and communicating with said `surrounding space and with the oil space, an upper and a lower plate fitting against the shoulder of the spindle and closing the rear end of the box, an inner and an outer series of rollers located in and filling the said circular space, the rollers of each series having interfitting trunnions at their inner ends to hold them in equalstaggered relation to each other and to provide an inner and an outer circular oil channel, and a flange formed in y i the endof the spindle and overlapping the outer ends of the rollers to prevent longitudinal movement of all of the rollers. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature.

ANDREW W. WARD. 

